Antarctica Fly & Cruise

Arrive in Punta Arenas, Chile

Receive a warm welcome in Punta Arenas, Chile, and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon, gather for a briefing on important voyage information and essential guidelines for Antarctic visitors. In the evening, raise a toast to the trip with your fellow adventurers while dining on regional fare.

Fly to Antarctica

A quick flight whisks you from Punta Arenas to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. Step off the plane and breathe in the clear Antarctic air for the very first time, then have the chance to explore Chile's Frei Station and Russia's Bellingshausen station. Finally, board a Zodiac to embark for your expedition vessel.

Explore the Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands

On Days 3 to 6, cruise between the South Shetland Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Sail through ice-filled channels and among spectacular icebergs, enjoying the company of sea birds, penguins, seals and whales. Disembark by Zodiac and explore with expert polar guides. On board the ship, attend engaging lectures and presentations, and enjoy spectacular vistas from the glass-enclosed lounge. The expedition team sets the voyage route to take advantage of the ever-changing opportunities provided by nature, crafting a unique and extraordinary experience each time.

Discover Deception Island & Whaler’s Bay

While the exact itinerary changes with each expedition, opportunities abound to discover the best possible overview of the Antarctic environment. These magnificent places include Deception Island, Orne Harbor, Cuverville Island, Paradise Bay, the Lemaire Channel, Paulet Harbor, and more.

Deception Island is one of the few volcanic calderas in the world that large ships can
sail into and anchor. Explore abandoned whaling stations at Whaler's Bay, hike to a scenic viewpoint, or take the intrepid Polar plunge in the protected waters of the bay. See more than 100,000 chinstrap penguins at Baily Head.

Visit Orne Harbor, Cuverville Island & Paradise Bay

A steep climb to the summit of Orne Island along Gerlache Strait provides a 360-degree view of the straight, surrounding islands and mountains.

Visit the peninsula's largest gentoo penguin colony, with 5,000 nesting pairs, on Cuverville Island's rocky shores. Cruise by Zodiac or sea kayak among bergs and curious leopard seals.

Paradise Bay is one of the Antarctic Peninsula's best-known locations! Land on the continent itself, enjoy sweeping hilltop views (and have fun sliding back down!), and see nesting seabirds and whales in the bay.

Cruise “Kodak Alley”

A cruise through a breathtakingly narrow Lemaire Channel, with mountain walls rising thousands of feet straight out of the water, is one of the highlights of a trip to Antarctica. Minkes, humpbacks, and orcas are occasionally spotted, and leopard and crabeater seals sometimes frequent the ice floes. This channel runs between Booth Island and the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the most stunning locations on the western coast of Antarctica. The 6.8 miles may become impassable when ice fills the narrow passageway.

Fly from Antarctica to Punta Arenas

Return to King George Island and bid farewell to Antarctica before boarding the flight back to Punta Arenas, then transfer to your hotel for the night.

Depart from Chile

After breakfast, transfer to the Punta Arenas airport for your onward flight. Due to the possibility of delay returning from Antarctica, we recommend reserving your outward bound flight for an afternoon departure.